


fake heroes and artificial love

by who_tf_cares



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Explicit Language, FRIENDSHIP!!!, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Hunk & Lance & Pidge | Katie Holt Friendship, Hunk (Voltron) Angst, Lance (Voltron) Angst, M/M, Pidge | Katie Holt Angst, based on that one animatic, but know that in my heart, i didn't want to ruin my ending :((, i'm really bad at writing battles, it's klance, klance is suggested but not really there???, slightly OOC, the garrison trio friendship owns my heart, they don't get hurt tho, you know the one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-16
Updated: 2018-08-16
Packaged: 2019-06-28 04:00:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15699726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/who_tf_cares/pseuds/who_tf_cares
Summary: Keith, Shiro, and Allura.Heroes. Anime protagonists. They have the hair, the tragic backstory, the sacrifice-complex. They're special.It'd be cool if they didn't make Lance, Hunk and Pidge feel like… they weren't.based on that langst animatic of someone gets hurt [reprise] from the mean girls musical by luminaxandra (tumblr)





	fake heroes and artificial love

**Author's Note:**

> i really loved this animatic and i got inspired to write a thing!!! and i'm ignoring season 7 entirely bc that. that fucked me up. so it's set after season 6 obviously, and it's angsty but i can't leave my golden trio off without a happy ending they deserve it my dudes
> 
> anyway hope you enjoy!!

** based on [that langst animatic](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SadKb5qnRW4) of someone gets hurt [reprise] from the mean girls musical by luminaxandra (tumblr) **

 

Keith, Shiro, and Allura.

Heroes. Anime protagonists. They have the hair, the tragic backstory, the sacrifice-complex. They're _special_.

It'd be cool if they didn't make Lance, Hunk and Pidge feel like… they weren't.

Pidge could've been one of them. She lost her family to the Galra, but she found them again. She's a crazy genius, but so's Hunk. Pidge is young, and her anime storyline has been wrapped up in a nice little bow. She isn't as… _invested_ anymore. Not like they were. No, Shiro's a bonafide torture victim who'd _literally died_ at the hands of the Galra. Allura's entire race had been wiped out by them. Keith _is_ Galra! And nobody's blaming them for that! But…

"Lance, stop goofing off. This is serious."

"Hunk, is now _really_ the time?"

"Pidge! We don't have _time_ for games!"

To Allura, they were just paladins. To Shiro, they were just kids. To Keith, they were just humans.

Lance leans against Hunk, listening to Pidge bitch about the latest time she got brushed off for being a kid, despite the multiple times she'd proven her genius. Honestly, back when they first started this, Lance pegged Pidge as Shiro and Allura's favourite, but he guesses that they got so caught up in the war that they just saw her as a child.

"I mean, I _know_ I'm young, we're all young, but it feels like Allura thinks I should be acting like I'm older than fucking Shiro, and he's goddamn 26!" Pidge runs her hand through her fluffy hair, frustrated tears breaking her voice a little. "I'm _fifteen_. I _should_ be playing games, having fun, making immature jokes. I shouldn't be in a war, but I am, and I just wish they'd see that I'm _trying_."

" _Pidge_." Lance pushes away from Hunk, going to gather her in his arms. He doesn't say anything, doesn't know what to say to comfort her. Hunk envelopes them both in his strong embrace, and the three stand there, each of them crying a little, each of them holding on with everything they have. Lance finally breaks the quiet with, "When we get home, wanna go have a Mario Kart tournament? Just us. After all, you're practically my little sister, and although you could probably wreck me, I'm the _king_ of Rainbow Road." Hunk groans a little, knowing how competitive both Lance and Pidge get, but squeezes them tighter.

Pidge giggles and Lance ignores the wetness of the sound. "I'd like to see you try, string bean." Lance feels her head shift against his chest. "I'd love that," she says quietly.

Hunk coos. "You guys are my best friends. I love you both so much."

Lance and Pidge say, "We love you too, Hunk," in unison before bursting out laughing.

Together, they laugh and joke, and it's almost like before they got out here, out in space.

-

Hunk is crying. Lance feels the anger within him building, just like it did with Pidge only a couple days ago.

"I didn't- I don't want to kill anyone, I don't want to kill anyone, I don't want to kill anyone _ever again_." Hunk chants, over and over, barely stopping to breathe. Lance is soothing him, trying to get him to calm down, and Pidge is flying the Green Lion back to where they've stationed for the past few days and ranting angrily.

" _Fucking hell_ , just because _they're_ perfect fucking soldiers doesn't mean that they have to try and make Hunk into one!" Lance understands her anger, it's what's going through his head, but Lance stays quiet, only holding Hunk. "None of us wanted to be a soldier! Hunk was training to be an _engineer_ for fuck's sake, and I just wanted to find Matt and Dad, and you just wanted to fly! Just because _they_ can sleep without seeing dead _fucking_ bodies behind their eyes doesn't mean we can!"

"Pidge," Lance says tiredly. "I get it, but can we not mention the dead bodies?" Even as Lance says it, Hunk's shaking calms, leaving tears dripping down his red face.

"I just… I just wanted to protect my family," Hunk whispers in such a way that breaks the pieces of Lance's heart further. Pidge lets out a little whimper that lets Lance know that she's crying too. "But they have families too… don't they? They just want to protect their family. And I _killed_ them."

Lance feels that familiar sting of tears. "Hunk, it's okay." He looks down at the ground, fatigue muffling his thoughts. "You're good, and it's not because we think they're bad." Lance lifts his eyes to meet those of his best friend, holding his broad shoulders tightly. "It's because you don't want to, and you would _never_ do it if they didn't attack first. The fact that this is hurting you so much just proves it."

Hunk's eyes shine in the soft lights within the Lion. "I'm not a murderer?"

Lance smiles somewhat bitterly. "If you are, I am too."

"And me," Pidge pipes up from the pilot seat. "If we're all doomed to hell, at least we go together."

Lance laughs. "They'll never know what hit 'em."

Finally, Hunk grins. "Pidge for the new queen of hell."

"Pidge for president."

"Pidge for president."

Keith opens the comms at one point, but all he can hear for one moment is Hunk and Lance laughing and shouting, "All hail Queen Pidge!" while Pidge stands atop her chair, waving regally. He must be in shock because it's a minute before he cuts in with a loud, " _Guys_!"

Pidge immediately sits down, but her face still glows with laughter even as it gleams with tears. "We're on our way back. Mission was a success, as far as I can tell."

Keith nods, letting out a soft " _Good job, guys,_ " before clearing his throat. " _Soon as you get back, rest up. We leave at 0800 hours._ " And then he closes the comm.

Lance feels a twist in his gut. "0800? But it's already 0500!"

"Wanna just sleep in here?" Pidge lands the Green Lion and swivels around in her chair. Lance aches at how tired she looks. "After the day we've had, we might just need a cuddle pile."

Hunk nods. "Yeah, sounds good. We'll go get our blankets. Be back in a minute."

Lance shoots Pidge some finger guns before following Hunk. He can faintly hear Shiro and Keith interrogating Hunk a little and sighs, walking up to stand beside the Yellow Paladin and the brother of his heart. But he doesn't speak, knowing they'll just ignore whatever he says anyway.

-

Of course, the breaking point is Lance, and it's on Earth.

Lance furrows his brow. "What do you mean, we can't see our families?"

Allura rubs at her forehead. "I mean exactly that. We cannot afford to let your planet know about everything before the authorities do. From what I understand, the story could lead you to prison."

Shiro tries to smile encouragingly, but Lance only stares at him, betrayed. "You'll get to see them soon enough, but for now-"

" _Fuck_ for now!" Lance screams, throwing out his arms. "My family thought I was _dead_! They thought that this entire time, I just snuck out of the Garrison and died doing something stupid, and left Mama to take care of her grandchildren alone! Dunno if you've noticed, but I actually _care_ about my family's wellbeing, and I want them to know that I've been trying to protect them this whole time, so that when I _do_ die out there, I'll die knowing that they at least knew!"

Keith steps forward, sad look on his face. "Lance, we can't-"

"'We'?" Lance interrupts viciously. "There's no 'we'. _You_ have your family, your answers, your fucking meaning of life out there in space. But this is my home, and my family will always be down here."

Keith blinks, looking wounded. Lance wonders why until his next words. "I- I thought that- we were a family. I thought we were happy with each other."

Lance stares before snarling, "No. You're not my family, and I haven't been happy in a very long time."

Shiro now steps forward. "Lance!"

"No, you know what? You hero types are all the same! So fucking above it all, you can't seem to understand that us _humans_ have feelings that aren't 'righteous fury' and 'revenge'!" Lance shakes his head. "Just because you think you're the leaders doesn't mean you can control us like a bunch of toy soldiers."

"But I thought you wanted me to be the leader!" Keith's eyes start to water, and Lance can't help but think good for all his pent-up anger, all his petty bitterness. "I pretended to be okay with it because of you!"

"Buddy, I hate to break it to you, but it's not pretend! You're as controlling as Iverson! Pushing us to our limits, forgetting that we're just _fucking teenagers_!" He's crying now, but he doesn't stop screaming. "All of you think we're just dumb kids who don't feel anything except immaturity but goddamn it, we've been fighting in the same war you have and we need to be dumb kids every now and then so that we don't lose our goddamn minds! You know, I hate the Galra for starting this war-" Lance narrows his eyes into a hateful glare "-but here's what you don't get. At least they wouldn't stoop so low to _pretend to be my friend_!"

The three of them stand there, looking like Lance just slapped them. "Lance," Allura starts, lip trembling.

"No, it's _fine_!" Lance screams, tearing at his hair with tears freely streaming down his face. Hunk pulls Lance into his arms, and he lets the Cuban boy sob freely in his arms.

"We're going," Pidge says coldly, backing into the ship that Hunk is leading Lance into, whispering comfortingly, "and you better hope we decide to come back, otherwise you'll have to find some new paladins."

Together, the three fly off to Pidge's house first, Lance curled up and sobbing, Hunk soothingly patting him on the back, and Pidge trying desperately to hold back tears. Together, they leave behind three shell-shocked heroes, who wish they'd never become heroes at all.

-

It had barely been a week of being home when the goddamn Black Lion landed on Lance's beach.

Lance groans and pushes at Hunk's arm. The trio had stayed two weeks at Pidge's house, then planned to stay three weeks in Lance's hometown, which so happened to be Hunk's as well. They didn't exactly want to be separated… and Colleen Holt hadn't let them leave for the first day, which led to two days, then three days, and so on. So when they finally decided to leave, Pidge insisted on coming with them, telling them how it was only fair. And then, after the whole explanation went down, they switched between spending time with Hunk's family and Lance's.

Lance had been trying to keep that conversation out of his mind. He knows he was harsh, okay, and he probably could've handled it better, but he never… never really was all that close to Keith, Shiro or Allura, and for Keith to call them a family? It just felt… wrong. It wasn't right to call them a family when they were barely friends. And it wasn't right to call them a family as if that excused not letting them see their blood family.

"Hunk, Pidge," Lance finally speaks, voice wavering. "The Black Lion's outside."

" _Fuck_ ," Pidge swore vehemently, "he couldn't've picked a later time? Preferably in the daylight?"

Hunk sighs. "Let's get it over with. I'm not changing though."

"Ditto."

Lance rolls out of their nest of blankets on the floor and slips on a pair of flip-flops, quiet. His heart hurts.

It's Keith who waits on the beach. Pidge rubs her eyes, clinging onto Lance's back like a backpack. Hunk stretches beside him. They stand across from each other, Lance avoiding Keith's eyes and Keith being unable to look away.

Finally, Keith breaks the silence. "I'm sorry." Lance doesn't say anything. Neither does Hunk, or Pidge, and Keith takes it as a sign to go on. "I'm sorry for forgetting that even though I'm happy as a paladin of Voltron, you aren't. I'm sorry for thinking that you guys were fine. I'm sorry for not… for pushing you like I push myself." His hands clench around his arms. "I… I spent two years with just- just Krolia, and every day, I missed _you_. All of you. And when I got back, you guys had changed, and I didn't know how to deal with that, so I just… didn't recognise it, and I was so confused, and I took it out on you. I can't speak for Shiro or Allura, but I'm sorry." Lance finally meets his eyes, and Keith smiles a little. "I'll try to be better."

Hunk sighs. "Man, you're good, but we're tired, so c'mon and borrow some clothes and join the cuddle pile."

Keith starts, eyes going wide. "What?"

Pidge yawns and nods against Lance's shoulder. "Don't make it weird, Keith. We just wanna sleep."

Keith still hesitates, so Lance rolls his eyes and grabs his hand, pulling him forward. "Dude, just join the pile. We can wreck you in Mario Kart in the morning. I'm the king of Rainbow Road."

"I beat you on it yesterday!"

"Only 'cause an NPC blue-shelled me!"

Keith looks down at their joined hands, looks at Hunk's relaxed stance, Pidge's obvious display of trust. They're best friends, of course they are. Keith always wanted to be a part of that, but he always… couldn't. Because he had bigger things to focus on. But maybe…

Maybe this is what's really important. Bickering and laughing and making snarky but joking comments and being funny for the sake of making them smile and- Maybe this is what he should've been focussing on. This… this simple act of living, of having friends. Because if he had to pick between a lifetime of battling Galra and being a hero of Voltron, and _this_ … Keith knows what he'd choose. And maybe it's because he spent too long alone, or maybe it's because he's always craved it, but he wants to believe that this is his future.

Keith smiles and lets Lance pull him into their mess of blankets and mattresses on the floor of Lance's bedroom. Yeah. He would always want this to be his future above anything else.

**Author's Note:**

> yo just so you know i'm australian and it was so weird to type flip-flops but in the context and knowing that the Voltron Fam is set in america writing 'thongs' didn't sit right with me


End file.
